It is desirable to monitor physical properties of a tire during test procedures and/or operating conditions in order to ascertain and measure certain tire performance characteristics, such as temperature. Certain test procedures involve taking temperature measurements of a tire by imbedding a temperature sensor or thermocouple in the sidewall of a tire. To conduct such tests, a bore is drilled into the sidewall of the tire and the sensor or thermocouple is inserted into the bore. It is, however, very difficult to insert a sensor, thermocouple, or other relatively fragile electronic device into rubber due to inherent properties of rubber that complicate such an insertion. Contact between the rubber tire and a device inserted therein may result in damage to the device or impede the progress of the device into the tire bore to an extent that prohibits the device from reaching its optimum depth. Moreover, it is difficult to determine when the device has reached its intended depth. Continued application of insertion force against the sensor after it reaches the terminal end of the bore may result in sensor damage and consequent malfunction. Further, continued application of insertion force against a sensor misaligned with the bore after it reaches the terminal end of the bore may also damage the sensor.
Accordingly, a tool that facilitates the insertion and aligning of a sensor or thermocouple into a bore in a sidewall of a tire would be desirable.